Best Biking Headphones of 2011

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Finding the Best Biking Headphones of 2011 was by far the hardest of our “Best of 2011″ lists. For one it is hard to include every type of biker, cyclist, trail rider, etc. in one single list. Secondly many cyclists may give you the death stare if you even bring up using headphones while riding (mainly due to safety), while others will swear by listening to music. With that said take a look at our criteria below for Best Biking Headphones of 2011, and we also highly recommend you check out our Best Bluetooth Sports Headphones of 2011 for additional options that we think you might love.

General Criteria

We previously outlined our general criteria for best sports headphones here.

Biking Criteria

Secure Fit. Listening to Lance Armstrong when it comes to biking or cycling is probably a good idea. So with that said we’ve left all earbuds off this list. You’ll only see neckband, clip on, or ear hook headphones. Why? Because the last thing you should be doing is trying to put your earbud back in as you cruise down the highway. We don’t agree that all earbuds will fall out, but why take the chance?

Safety First. If you’re biking or cycling make sure you consider the consequences of purchasing noise isolating sports headphones. While runners may also have this same issue, it is even more likely that cyclists will be in and around traffic. In addition, in-ear canal headphones that aren’t noise isolating may also not be ideal. We’ll be staying with earbuds, with the condition that they have some form of neckband, vertical band, or clip. If you’re a trail rider and not very concerned with this, we recommend you check out our Best Overall Sports Headphones of 2011.

Helmets and Other Gear. Each rider is different. And each rider wears different gear. Regardless of which headphones you go with, make sure you evaluate whether they will work well with the gear you’re wearing. For instance, will your helmet conflict with the location of your neckband?

Best Biking Headphones of 2011

The Sennheiser PMX 680i is one of the premier sets of sports headphones on the market. Not only are these a favorite for cyclists, but also for runners and other athletes. The neckband design allows for comfort and security, while the earbuds rest softly on your outer ear. A major bonus are the in-line controls which make it easy to change your tunes on the go.

Another Sennheiser headset on this list. The PMX60 are super lightweight and produce some amazing sound. One feature we really like about these over-ear headphones is the ability to slip the earphone slightly off your ear in order to be more aware of your surroundings.

It may take a little getting used to these clip-on style headphones, but it is more than worth it. In fact, we these are some of the best value headphones you’ll find, and continue to be great year in year out.

What to expect in 2012?

Tracking, tracking, and more tracking. What are we talking about? Heart rate, distance, speed, and anything else you can quantify. Sports headphones are becoming more and more equipped with some awesome technology. Just check out some of the things that Motorola is doing, like their MOTOACTV or their new line of headphones.